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We know so many species from the oceans, deserts, swamps, lowlands and forests of the mesozoic age, but what about the mountains? It's not the first time I'm asking that question myself but this time I searched for answers.Azhdarchids: They are one of a few pterosaur familys which are known from the inland. Where did this animals nest? two options came into my mind.1. they nest on the ground.2. they nest on cliffs or in alpine habitats.Well, you see what I choose here, it's a middle sized diurnal species similar to Zhejiangopterus.The second animal is a Tethyshadros, known from a perfectly preserved fossil from italy. I notice that the beak of this species looks better for an selective diet, but the extremaly long Ischium suggest a longer digestive tract for masses of stodgy food. I speculate that this animals lived not only in the lowlands of it's island habitat but also in the still young alps where they pick plant plants from the groung and out of clefts with their strange beak. Another interesting feature are the very slim feed which reminds me of the hooves of chamois.

The droppings on the nest are a really nice touch, it just seems like something that a lot of artists would have overlooked when doing a piece like this, but it makes it look like an animal actually lives there.

I remember the Quetzalcoatlus in Dinosaur Planet had nests on the cliffs of the Young Rocky Mountains, but I prefer this version of a Mountain Azhdarchid (since the Quetzalcoatlus in Dinosaur Planet were still being treated as Fishing Animals and not Quadroped Herons as they are now)great work

Now that you mentioned it I remember this scene, I was very confused back then, why should this animls nest inland but search for food hundreds of kilometers away, the only bird I remember which is doing this are Emperor Penguins.

It seems everyone expected the plains and forests and oceans to be full of life back then and totally forgot about higher elevations! Nice detail on that rock though. You take braver steps in this kind of art and add the more unpleasant sides of life. It really makes the creatures more alive.